June 22, 2025 – Galatians 3:10-25

Lesson Date: June 22, 2025

Focal Scripture Passage: Galatians 3:10-25

AIM: To lead students to discover the true purpose of the Old Testament Law, and to either thank Jesus for freeing them from the curse of the Law or to place their faith in Jesus for salvation if they’ve never done so.

 

Before class: Read the notes on Galatians 3:10-25 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.

 

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): NOTE: If you teach youth, adjust the following questions to be applicable to them.

Ask: “How many of you entered this world as a baby, grew and developed through your childhood and teenage years, and eventually became an adult?” (everyone).  Ask: “When you were a young child, did you always naturally know what was right and wrong?” (no).  Ask: “Who taught you what was right and wrong and how to behave?” (your parents or guardians).  Ask: “During your childhood and youth, did you ever misbehave?” (yes).  Ask: “Who corrected you or punished you when you did wrong?” (your parents).

Ask: “Why do parents correct their children when they do wrong?  Is it just because they enjoy inflicting punishment?” (no, parents discipline their children to teach them how to live in a respectful and proper way so they become stable, self-disciplined adults).

Ask: “Now that you are an adult, do your parents still correct and discipline you?  Do they still take away privileges or spank you?” (no).  Ask: “Why don’t parents correct their adult sons and daughters the way they did when they were young?” (because adults should be self-disciplined and no longer need the constant correction and guidance they did when they were children).

Tell the class that children need to be trained and corrected by their parents and teachers, but when they become adults, they should no longer need that kind of training and discipline.  Tell the students that the title of today’s lesson is What Good is the Law?  Explain that in the same way that parents have rules to teach their children how to behave, God gave His children rules to guide their behavior and prepare them to believe in Jesus for salvation.

 

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the class that we are studying the New Testament book of Galatians.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (the title was Can Good Works Save You?; we learned that salvation is only available through faith in Jesus Christ).
   • Ask: “Have you told anyone this week that salvation is a gift of grace available to anyone who truly believes in Jesus?”
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (Galatians 2:16).
2. Things the Law Cannot Do.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 3:10-12.
   • Ask: “What does the first part of verse 10 say about those who are under the Law, relying on the Law to save them?” (they are under the curse).
   • Ask: “According to the rest of verse 10, why are they under the curse?” (because no one can perfectly obey all of the Old Testament Law).
   • Tell the class that James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
   • Explain that the Law can’t free us from the curse.
   • Ask: “According to verse 11, what else can’t the Law do?” (make anyone just in the sight of God).
   • Remind the students that justified is a Bible word for salvation.
   • Ask: “What does verse 11 say about how people are justified?” (by faith; in other words, belief in Jesus Christ; John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9).
   • Tell the class that the Law can’t justify or save a soul.
   • Ask: “What does verse 12 say about the Law?” (it is not based on faith, but on actions).
   • Tell the class that the Law is not based on faith.
   • Read Galatians 3:21.
   • Ask: “What else can’t the Law do?” (give eternal life, making us righteous in God’s sight).
   • Tell the class that the Law cannot give eternal life because no religion based on works can ever produce true righteousness.
   • Summarize: The Old Testament Law cannot free anyone from the curse, cannot justify or save a soul, is not based on faith, and cannot give eternal life.
3. Christ Redeems Us From the Curse of the Law.
   • Tell the students that if we stopped with verse 12, there would be no hope for humanity; but fortunately, the Good News begins in verse 13.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 3:13-14.
   • Ask: “According to verse 13, what has Christ done?” (He redeemed us from the curse of the Law).
   • Ask: “How did He do that?” (by being made a curse for us, taking our sin upon Himself on the cross).
   • Tell the class that Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” and 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
   • Ask: “According to verse 14, what happens when Gentiles trust Jesus for salvation?” (they receive the blessings promised to faithful Abraham).
   • Read Galatians 3:15-18.
   • Explain the following:
     • Abraham believed God and his faith was accounted to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6).
     • God made promises to Abraham and his descendants, including all those who come to God by faith.
     • The Old Testament Law was given to the Israelites 430 years after Abraham believed God.
     • The Law did not supersede faith; justification (right standing with God) has always been based upon faith.
     • Those who believe in Jesus are heirs of the promises made to Abraham.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 3:19-20.
   • Ask: “What question did Paul ask the Galatians at the beginning of verse 19?” (why are you going back to serving the Law).
   • Remind the students that Paul wrote this letter because false teachers, known as Judaizers, were teaching that Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Old Testament Law to be saved.
   • Ask: “What does the rest of verse 19 say about why God gave the Law?” (it was “added because of transgressions”).
   • Explain the following:
     • The Law clearly outlines what is right and wrong, much like a parent’s rules teach children what is right and wrong.
     • Verse 19 says the Law was needed until the Mediator, Jesus Christ, came.
     • When we think of the Law, we usually think only of the Ten Commandments, but the Old Testament Law actually included hundreds of other rules and restrictions.
   • Summarize: Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation are freed from the curse of the Law and are no longer required to keep the Old Testament Law.
4. Why Did God Give the Law?
   • Ask a volunteer to read Galatians 3:22.
   • Ask: “What has the scripture concluded?” (that everyone on earth is a sinner).
   • Remind the students that Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
   • Ask: “Who receives the promises of God?” (those who believe; in other words, those who have faith in Jesus).
   • Tell the class that the words faith or believe appear seven times in verses 22-26, reminding us that salvation is by faith, not works.
   • Read Galatians 3:23-25.
   • Ask: “According to verse 23, why did God give the Law?” (to “shut up” or restrain those who could later be justified by faith, just as our parents’ rules and restrictions taught us how to behave before we became old enough to understand right and wrong for ourselves).
   • Ask: “What does verse 24 call the Law?” (our “schoolmaster” or tutor).
   • Explain that the Greek word translated schoolmaster is paidagogos, from which we get our English word pedagogue, which means a teacher or instructor.
   • Ask: “According to the rest of verse 24, what was the purpose of the Law?” (to bring us to Christ so that we could be justified by faith).
   • Ask: “How do you think the Law can lead anyone to Christ?” (the Law is a perfect standard that no one can live up to; our inability to keep God’s perfect Law shows us that we need a Savior).
   • Ask: “What does verse 25 say?” (after we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are no longer subject to the rules and rituals of the Law).
   • Ask: “How many of you went to school?” (everyone).
   • Remind the students that when they were in school they were required to obey their teacher.
   • Ask: “When you finished school, were you still subject to your teacher’s rules?” (no).
   • Tell the class that after we come to faith in Jesus, the convictions of the indwelling Holy Spirit replace the outward rules and restrictions of the Law.
   • Summarize: The purpose of the Law was to bring us to Christ so we could be saved by faith. The Law was merely a vehicle to get us to a destination, not a goal to be achieved.

 

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the students that the title of today’s lesson is What Good is the Law?  Remind them of the following truths we have discovered in this lesson:

• The Law can’t free us from the curse (v. 10).
• The Law can’t justify us or save our soul (v. 11).
• The Law is not based on faith (v. 12).
• The Law cannot give us eternal life (v. 21).
• Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by taking our sin upon Himself (v. 13).
• If we have faith in Jesus we are heirs of the promises God made to Abraham (v. 14-18).
• We are all sinners, but we can be saved by believing in Jesus (v. 22).
• God gave the Law as a vehicle to lead us to faith in Jesus (v. 23-24).
• After we come to Christ by faith we are free from the Old Testament Law (v. 25).

Tell the class that many of the Old Testament commandments are repeated as guidelines in the New Testament; in fact, nine of the Ten Commandments can be found in word or principle (the only exception is the command to honor the Sabbath).  Explain that Jesus didn’t do away with the Old Testament (Matt. 5:17), but faith in Jesus frees us from having to try to keep the Law to get right with God.

Ask: “Why did God give the Law?” (to show us that we need a Savior).

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Tell them if they know Jesus as their personal Savior they should thank Him for paying for their sin and freeing them from the curse of the Law.  Tell them if any of them haven’t ever placed their faith in Christ for salvation they should do so now.  Tell them to confess and turn from their sin and place their faith and trust in Jesus to save them.  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer.

 

CONCLUSION: Tell the students if any of them just received Christ they should make that public by coming forward during the hymn of commitment at the end of this morning’s worship service.  Encourage everyone to thank the Lord every day for setting them free from the curse of trying to keep the Law.